1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of competitive games suited for a plurality of players, and in particular, to a board game wherein progress is controlled in part by skillful and strategic management of a scarce resource, and in part by chance.
2. Statement of Art
The game apparatus and method taught herein share certain features with typical board games, yet are characterized by unique structural features and unique inter-relationships between the unique features and those shared in common with other games. The playing board depicts a grid of interconnected segments defining a plurality of selectable player movement paths. In the presently preferred embodiment, a plurality of nodes or intersections presents each player with an opportunity to move in one of eight different directions. The scarce resource which must be managed for maximum benefit during the course of the game relates to the ability of each player to choose a direction of movement at each turn. The magnitude of movement in any chosen direction, at each turn, may be determined by a chance means, such as dice or a spinner. The collection of progress markers is related to accessing unique indicia disposed in different zones of the movement grid. The method is characterized by the loss and collection of movement direction markers, which is contingent at least in part upon frequent movement between the different zones, to access the indicia during the course of the game.
Certain patent references are known in which markers relating to changes of direction on a playing field are disclosed, for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,7911-Powers and U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,333-Willcocks, although none is similar in structure or use to those of this invention. Other games are known which utilize a playing grid having multi-directional paths, as embodied in a game manufactured and sold by the Warren Company, the copyright being in the name of Hasbro Industries and dated 1984, and entitled TRANSFORMERS. The Transformers game utilizes a playing grid having a repetitive hexagonal block pattern, wherein each segment connected to a node is provided with a number from 1 through 6. Operation of dice constrains a player to move along the corresponding identified segments. Accordingly, a player is able to move only one or two nodes away from a present position irrespective of the magnitude of the number shown on the dice; and, may not always be able to move in a desired direction. The object of the game is to rescue (i.e., collect) one each of six sets of robot/truck markers. In this game, which is intended for play by young children, the scarce resource amounts to a player's ability to move along the grid by rolling one die or two dice, depending upon the transformed state of the players position marker. The transformed state depends largely upon indicia on cards randomly drawn from a set of such cards. Although there may be deemed some similarity between the Transformer game and that taught herein, the similarity is superficial at most.